amitrion

Hi everyone.

While I'm waiting for for my z brake upgrade kit and my work wheels package (waiting as in for funds to accumulate - hopefully with in a months time)... my brake pads can't wait. it's squeeling, annoying and plus it's dangerous... i'd feel better just replacing it, even it it'll only be for a month or 2...

anyhow, i've changed pads before, but man, i've searched a bit, and it seems our beast is something different. again, i've got the 98 kouki - base model.

in the cases that i've changed pads before, there's 2 bolts holding up the caliper. you take out the bottom one, and the caliper just slides right up, leaving you room to change the pads.

not so with this one it seems.

i took the bottom bolt of the caliper off, then tried to swing and pull it up. no go. i thought, then maybe the big bolt next to it (16 mm). still no go. what am i doing wrong?


this picture is from under the car by the exhaust. you can see the 2 bolts i took out.


here's it from the side. again the 2 bolts i took out.


as you can see the bottom bolt's gone.

i hear people talking about a square piston socket wrench? i can't see any square bolt/piston at all. please help.

thanks much guys.

~eric vang

amitrion

ok. made a bit of progress... if that's what you want to call it...

caliper will not move because i had my e-brake up all the way. once i put it down, the caliper swung up as it should have.

now i have the problem of pushing the piston back into it's housing so it can go over the new brake pads. how do i do this? cars i've worked on before, there's enough room to use a c-clamp and squeeze the piston back in. the housing goes way back. no room.

i've read about the sqare thing, and twising it with a square wrench? is this what they're talking about?


this is right behind the rotor...


closer picture of it...

help...

~ev

chrispy

Get needle nose pliers and put them in the notches on the piston. Turn clockwise until it moves all the way back. It's a little difficult at first, but after a few turns it gets easy.

Kid Zelda

You can use a pair of pilers and try to push the pistion back, while pressing the piston back, you must turn clockwise at the same time.

Or make it easy and buy the "suqare thingy tool brake caliper thingy of brakes"
this is how it looks, most auto parts stores will have it

http://www.toolrage.com/cgi-bin/isto...&affiliate_id=

amitrion

Thanks you two...

Think i know what you two are talking about now. but what about the bleeder screw? where is that and does it have to be off to do this?

Kid Zelda

the bleeder screw, you want to slighty open it ( have a hose on it, and drian into a contanier of some kind), so when you push the pistion back in the fulid comes out and not back to the M/C.

When you are done with the brake job, the last thing is to bleed the brakes, please tell me you know how to do this ?

chrispy

You're just changing your pads, right? Bleeding the brakes isn't necessary if you're just changing the pads. But you could always do it if you want.

amitrion

i don't even know where that bleeder screw is...???

and no i don't know how to bleed the brakes. every time i've changed pads before i've not do so. they seem to run just fine...

hay, i'm learning. and that's why i'm asking.

i'll have to find that square 2 pronged turning key thing tomorrow... man, and i thought this would only take an hours tops for both sides.

oh, and why won't the caliper come off when the e-brake's on? ....oh, never mind. i thought about it and it makes sense...

*****************
i know i'll ask more once i do the z-brake swap/5-lug and wheel swap...

i'll have to get rid of my meshies...

~ev

thx247

Why does he need to bleed the fluid from the caliper when he pushes the piston back in? Just make sure the MC is not close to overflowing when you start pushing the pistons back into the caliper. If you haven't added any fluid to the MC since when the pads were originally installed- no worries.

AKADriver

It makes it incomparably easier to retract the piston if you just open the bleeder screw on the caliper instead of pushing the fluid all the way back up to the master cylinder. You might have the bleed the rear calipers afterward... no big deal.

Besides, if the brakes see heavy use, the brake fluid in the calipers is going to be in the worst shape. It doesn't circulate through the system.

Kid Zelda

thanks for explaining AKADiver. Thats why
PLUS, who the hell changes pads and does not bleed the system ? I guess 50% of you .. tish tish tish

nissantuner22

*slaps zilvia forum members on the wrists* always bleed brake system when you change any component on it. if your pads are worn, chances are when you install new pads your going to have to compress the piston quite a bit. In doing so, if the caps off the MC, or the bleeder screw is open, air has a possiblity of getting into the system. Of all the components on a car, you should never cheap out on the brakes.

__________________

Current Project: Operation: N/A SR: 93 Silvia Q SR20DE Engine with go fast goodies. ,
"Common problems 240sx's suffer from are curbs, trees, ditches, and other immovable objects."thx247

"on the tounge... there is no guardrails."- citizen

sykikchimp

Air can not get into the system by just leaving the MC cap off while you compress the pistons. Only time air will get in through the MC is if you let it run dry while bleeding.

If you are like me and change your brake fluid more than your oil, Than you don't need to bleed the system everytime you swap pads.

Amitron - The bleed screw is on the top shoulder of the part of the caliper that swings up. There is usually a little rubber nipple over it. If you've never bled brakes before, search around on the forum. There is a pretty detailed description around somewhere.

Also, if you haven't put the pads back in yet, maybe you could do me a flavor?? Could you measure the diameter of the piston in the caliper? As close as you can get it? If you have some dial calipers that would be ideal. They should be close to 1.5". I need the number close as possible.. to the thousandth if you can get it.

__________________

91rusty240sx

I think you should get more fimiliar with your stock brakes before you jump onto the Z32s...

the oem spec of bleeding the brakes should be rear right, rear left, front left, and front right... on non-abs anyways...

pump the brakes 3 times and HOLD... then have someone loosen the bleeder screw on the brake and tighten it after 1.5 secs of allowing the fluid to come out. If you see a nice stream of fluid...that means you have a little to no air in THAT line... if a lot of air comes out and no fluid...keep on doing it till fluid does come out.

__________________
Tony

thx247

Never had a problem turning the pistons before. :shrugs:

Get someone else to do your dirty work chimp. Like he's sitting there with his pads off waiting for someone to respond, that would be like someone sitting with his pants around his ankles waiting for someone to get online so he can cyber.....um, 'cuse me for a second!